True but you’d hope we could use an off the shelf glider (or even Tutor) replacement not something bespoke.
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As I said above…not sure there are that many shelves these days!
Just like all the civvy gliding clubs that still use them after all that time.
Only difference is they use them to teach (mainly) adult men who weigh more than 12-15 year olds, and therefore, stress the airframes a lot more!
All well and good doing this and very engineeringy as you would expect from an engineer to make it look like something is happening, but the bottom line is how long before we see cadets in gliders, in significant numbers, so that we can actively promote the activity to cadets with surety they will get airborne. I know after 9 years of nothing a few more months/year doesn’t matter, but it is more generations of cadets joining and leaving and not getting an opportunity.
In my old job an engineer spoke eloquently and in technical detail about the packing line they were installing and the production manager asked how long before we are packing product. Silence.
most of the civvy gliding clubs I see on BGA’s twitter/faceache posts are training and first soloing in k13’s which entered production in 1967 and without the maintenance setup in place in RAFAC. I would expect the vikings to have plenty of life in them with updates to instrumentation maybe until early 2030s but with lead times on 2 seaters and quantities required to replace a fleet starting drip feeding replacments in around 2030 would allow the cost to be spread over a number of years, but this is RAFAC so 
.
After taking the pause taken into account I bet most haven’t had half the useage of the civvy twins or K21 equivalent of similar ages.
The USAF now have the grandchildren of the original B52 pilots flying them and their children will fly them until the aircraft is at least 100 years old.
Is that the design or frame?
The frames, just about to undergo re-engining as well.
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Yep. My fears exactly. There must be a few disabled charities getting excited already!
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You this but…
…consider the links to documents written in 2011/2012 about the future of gliding and the fleet in this post Click here
You’ll read there was never a plan to end the life of the Vikings and a repeat message of continued refurbishment:
(It does say that the Vigilant had a finite life left but this was also linked to the engine)
Aerobility are fast becoming what the ATC should be - except it is targeted at kids with a disbility.
First they use our former gliders now they are offering what appears to be decent simulator experiences (and via teams no less!)
(anyone got a Cadet with a disability and fancy applying?)
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An organisation that calls itself inclusive and actually is…‽
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88 cadets flown in a day by 661VGS…….so it can be done after all.
Can’t wait for this new positive shift in 2FTS policy to be rolled out to all the VGS.
In the meantime, I won’t be holding my breath!
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out of interest how many aircraft were being used by the Sqn that day??
We were there with some of our Cadets and they had 3 aircraft operating. Someone did mention that it was originally planned to be 4 though.
from social media they also ran 3 shifts from dawn until dusk to achieve that. Huge well done to them but it will certainly be an exception rather than the norm.
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Have you met RAFAC? That’ll become the new minimum delivery standard.
oh wait this was part of the “longest day” operation that is often run around the solstice??
i got far too excited about that number in that case!
Yes it was. They ran 3 shifts, sun rise to sun set AFAIK!
Sounds like a normal day of flight instructing to me